If Staying Hungry has a house style, it’s this: sharp knives, sharper insights. In this episode, hosts Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with DJ CHEF - the Food Network–famous chef/DJ hybrid who went from Bobby Flay’s line to building a high-margin, book-out-the-weekend experiential catering brand that restaurant owners can actually learn from.

Why watch (restaurant-operator edition): This is a playbook in disguise - menu engineering for dietary chaos, turning off-nights into profit centers, packaging “experience” for premium pricing, building charity/event pipelines, and social content that sells bookings.

Timestamps

00:00 Opening riff & why Saturdays are for working, not dining

02:05 Boombox to bar gigs: becoming “the DJ in Long Beach”

06:40 First kitchen reps: deli to hot line, NY Restaurant School

10:15 Time Café stories & first special (dessert taco) with A-list guests

14:30 Crossing the street: interviewing with Bobby Flay & opening insanity

18:55 Corporate dining pivot (Sodexo/Marriott) → discovering private events

22:40 Birth of DJ CHEF: cook while DJing; Food Network notices

27:10 From TV to stage shows & global activations (Dubai, festivals)

30:25 The bachelorette-party niche & naming the DJ CHEF Experience

34:05 Menus that survive allergies; the dessert routine that always lands

38:10 Gear talk: why CDJs > laptops when you’re cooking live

40:45 Format & pricing: 3-hour parties, day/pre-game/prime slots, OT rules

44:20 Hamptons wins (Dan’s Papers & Top Chef Hamptons); charity engines

48:00 Products: Hamptons by DJ CHEF cookware/knives & Firehouse Flavor

52:15 Social media that books real gigs (IG → TikTok → YT search)

55:30 Scaling & seasonality: Florida winters, teams, and brand control

59:10 Closing thoughts: burnout alternatives for chefs + work/life with family